Lowly-ranked Russians, Saudis meet to kick off World Cup

MOSCOW --- The World Cup is set to start and finish with games at the opposite ends of the spectrum.
The lowest-ranked teams at the tournament will meet in the opener Thursday when Russia hosts Saudi Arabia at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, which is also venue for the July 15 final.
The No. 70-ranked Russians got an automatic spot as tournament host and the Saudis, at No. 67, have the lowest ranking of the 31 countries which secured places via qualifying. They re the longest of long shots to reach the final.